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Admissions Essays and the Power of Editing
I've been doing editing work in various shapes and forms for well over a decade. My experience in the college admissions realm is well known within my large extended family. In the last ten years, at least half a dozen of my younger cousins have gone to college. Sometime around their junior year, they ask me for editing help. I don't mind. Honestly.
I think that the years have taught me to be diplomatic. It's one of those soft factors in editing that is the most delicate. I don't feel bad correcting grammar or sentence structure. Tone? Substance? Purpose? Those concepts are tougher to tackle.
My visceral response to things I read is immediate. Sometimes the cringe is a flicker. Other times, I feel a silent leap as my eyes are tugged by a jovial turn of phrase. The worst is when I'm bored. How does one inspire someone to write better by calling them tedious?
Still, these responses are what no writer wants to hear but what every writer needs. There are thousands of google hits that will tell you how to write a better admissions essay. They like giving you bullet points. Start early. Be honest. Proofread. Rewrite. All good advice.
What you really need, however, is a second set of eyes.
I looked at some essays for a family member several years back. Academically speaking, I would've been indiscernible in the shadow of his trajectory. His writing was good, legal to buy ambien online but had room for improvement. He took all my criticisms on board and was very grateful for my input. Later, he told me my comments had been a bit like sandpaper on silk. Still, he appreciated them.
That's the thing about editing. No one else can see your work through your eyes. And that's important. It may just be what saves you from yourself.
Labels: Admissions Essays and the Power of Editing
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